Latch.



M. R. STODDARD.

LATCH.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 23, 1909.

Patented Sept. 20, 1910.

III III III-II UNITED sT-ATEs PATENT OFFICE.

MAUDE R. STODDARD, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y.

LATCH.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patentedsepb, 20, 1910.

Application led DecemberA 23, 1909. Serial No. 534,578.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, MAUDE--R.,ST0DDARD, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York,

have invented certaininew and useful Improvements in Latches, of which the followinis a Ifull, clear, and exact specification.

y y invention relates to improvements iii locks for securing hinged doors or covers to'the frames or receptacles to which the saine are attached, and said invention has for its object more particularly to provide a simple, elicient and reliable vlatch having-improved fulcruming means whereof the engagingmember maybe readily attached to, or removed from its supporting member or plate.4

Further, said invention has-for its object tol provide alock having a resilient member which serves to'maintain the movable or locking member in locking position',' and which also serves to support said movable or locking member in -such manner that the same can be readily detachedand removed A from its supporting plate or member.

' Further, said invention has forits object to provide a lock in which the handle or latch operating member is free at one end and has its said free end guidedsp "as to hold the same against lateral movement or accidental displacement.

Further, said invention has for its object to provide a lock composed of the smallest number of parts possible, and which, can be easily and conveniently. assembled.

F urtlier, said invention has for' its object to rovide a lock in which the movable or loc ing member maybe pivotally supported in operative position without requiring the use of a separate or independent pivot p vTo the attainment of the aforesaid objects and ends, my invention consists in the novel details of construction and arrangement of .parts hereinafter morel fully described and then pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming Vpart of this specification wherein like numerals of referenceindicate like parts, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a closet anddoor, showing one form of lock embodying my saidl invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a sectional View of. the sup-r porting parts of thel latch; the latch and actuating spring being shown in elevation,

l the broken ylines showing the latch about to engage with its keeper, and the full lines showing the parts in proper locking engagement; Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the manner o releasing or unlocking the latch;

Fig. 4 is a'-front/elevation of the face-plate of t-helatch, and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the latch-member detached from its faceplate or support.

Referring to the drawings, the lock or latch is shown as comprising a latch-lever 10 which is provided with adetent 11 having its end beveled, so as t`enable the automatic locking or engaging of said detent 11 with a keeper or engageable member, such as 12. The latch-lever and the keeper may be of any desirable form. The detent 11 extends through a slot vor opening 13 ina face-plate 14. The upper portion of vsaid face-plate forms a fulcrum-member or support for the latch-lever 10, by the engagement of the upper'end 15 of the opening 13, with a recess or notch 16 in the up er edge of said latch-lever. The notch 16 is of such shape and proportion as to permit of the necessary play of the latch-lever upon its fulcrum 15".

17 denotes a latch releasing handle, preferably of C-shape, which depends from the outer end of the latch-lever, and is preferably -formed inte ally therewith. The lower end 18 of said handle 17 is substantially parallel with the latch-lever 10, and is preferably formed in-the arc of a circle', of which the fulcruming point ofthe latchlever is a center. The said end. portion 18 works in a guide-hole 19 in the lower end of the facelate 14,- which guide-hole 19 also extends t rou ha boss 2O upon the outer surface of sai face-plate 14.

A coil actuating spring 21 serves to hold the latch-lever in engagement with fulcrummemberl, and said spring-21 also serves to cause the detent 1-1 of the latch-lever 10 to engage with the keeper 12, and hold the same in lookin engagement therewith, as

shown-in'full lines at Fig. 2. The spring' 21 is referably bent orcurved, and is maintaine in position by means of a curved stud or projection 2 2 upon the back of the faceplate 14 just below the opening 13 therein, which ,engages one end o said spring, and by a similar curved stud or projection 23 arranged upon the underside of the latchlever 10, which engages the oplposite end of said spring. It is obvious, the latch-lever may be maintained in proper owever, that i operative relationupon the face-plate 14 by anysuitable spring or resilient member.v

The face-plateiof the lock is adapted` to be secured to a door, such as 24, by screws orI other suitable fastening devices 25, and the door is provided with a suitable recess 26 for the purpose of receiving 4the latchlever and the actuating spring 21 therein. As thus constructed, it will be observed that the entire lock consists of but two structural parts held'. in operative relation by means of an interposed actuatingv spring.A

It will also be obvious that the guide-member having the opening 19 therein may be vformed separately from ltheface-plate 14 and secured thereto in any' convenient or well known manner. vIn the present instance, the same-is shown integral with the face-plate as a matter .of convenience of construction.

A The latch-lever with its attached handle and the sprin ymay be readily .and quickly assembled an mounted in position upon the face-plate 14 Without the use of tools vand without requiring skilled labor. This is an important feature since 'it permits of the latch being taken apart for shipment and 'stora e, and permits of the removal of the latchever and its attached handle, to

avoid damage or breakage of the lock afterl it has been attached to any receptacle or article of furniture.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire `to secure-by Letters Patent. is:

`1. Ina latch, the combination of a plate having two openlngs, a portion of said lever to maintain said engagement.

having a notch in its upper edge Iupon teenth day of December,

a fulcrum-member, with a latchv and nine.

gaged with said fulcrum-member, a handle for said lever guided inthe other of said and springk means interposed between said plate and latch-lei'f'er for maintaining said parts in operative relation.

3; In a latch, the combination of a plate having two openings, a portion of said plate at one end of one of said openings forming a fulcrum-member, with a latch-lever `fulcrumed in said opening and engaged with said fulcrum-member, a handle for said lever Aguided in the other of said openings, and a spring, mounted at one end on the inner side of said plate and at the other end bearing on said latch-lever to maintain said engagement.

4. Ina latch, the combination of a plate having a -pair of'openings therein, a latchlever disposed in. one of saidopenings and extending therethrough, said latch-lever engaging the plate at one end of said opening, a handle on said latch-lever having a free outer end, and a spring having one end'mounted said plate and its other end engaged by and bearing upon the underside of said latch-lever- `to vmaintain said parts in operative engagement, and a segmental projection upon the free end of said handle extendin into the other of the openings in said p ate for guiding said handle.

Signed at the'. city of New York,` in the county and' openings,

nineteen hundred MAUDE R. STODDARIR*` Witnesses:

CONRAD A. DIETERICR,

HELEN SULLIVAN.

State ofA New York, the .thiry 

